1. Technical Field
The invention relates to an apparatus for dispensing a plurality of sandwich panel inserts, or other pieces, in a manner in which orientation of each insert is properly maintained while the inserts are housed and dispensed.
2. Background Art
Panel inserts anchored within lightweight sandwich panels have been widely used for many years, especially in the aircraft industry where such panels are used to reduce weight.
Prior to installation, such inserts are typically housed within an elongated tube assembly, such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,671. A common problem experienced in tube assemblies which house sandwich panel inserts, or any plurality of identical pieces aligned one after another, such as bolts, rivets, fasteners, etc., is that the individual inserts tend to lose their proper orientation within the tube prior to being dispensed from the tube, thereby resulting in jamming of inserts within the tube or creating problems in a "pick and place" operation in which inserts are sequentially grasped as they are dispensed from the end of the tube.
It is therefore desirable to provide an improved apparatus for dispensing identical pieces, such as sandwich panel inserts, in a manner in which proper orientation of the individual pieces are maintained as the pieces are housed and dispensed.